


The Last Unicorn

by DrabblingSparks (ingenious_spark)



Series: Saint Seiya prompts & short fic [197]
Category: Saint Seiya
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Drabble, Gen, Long Live Feedback Comment Project, Magic, Nudity, Prompt Fic, Unicorns, War, aftermath of war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-07-20 04:21:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19986013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ingenious_spark/pseuds/DrabblingSparks
Summary: Jab walks the ruins of the kingdom in which he lived, trapped by the last mercy of his dead brother, now turned into a curse.





	The Last Unicorn

**Author's Note:**

> From a list of prompts over on my tumblr, [@oopsbirdficced](http://oopsbirdficced.tumblr.com).
> 
> The prompts are all written by [@normal_horoscopes](http://normal_horoscopes.tumblr.com) over on tumblr! I encourage you to check them out!

_Gemini: The last citadel of an old kingdom. The shades of the garrison fight a last stand that will never end. The only bridge was destroyed long ago._

His bare feet pad quietly across broken stone, and in their wake is the echo, the memory of hooves clicking.

Nothing else stirs. The rest of this kingdom is silence and decay. He is the only living thing, beyond the birds and the animals, the bugs and the plants that grow over ancient stonework, slowly subsuming it.

Jab stands on an ancient, crumbling parapet, and looks down at silent chaos. Those, too, are echoes. Shades of the past, locked in eternal combat through the magic saturating this lost kingdom still. It hurts him to look down on the shades, and pick out the shadows of his brethren. The long, strong legs and sharp, delicate cloven hooves. Streaming, colorful manes and tails, and proud bejeweled horns. 

He doesn’t fault his brother for locking him in a human form. He had been trying to save Jab’s life, and succeeded. Jab had been unable to escape the chamber his brother had locked him in until the door had rotted enough for him to kick it down, long after the fighting was done and the dead reduced to bones and restless spirits. His brother hadn’t thought it would end like this.

Hadn’t known that he would reduce his brother to the last living person on the island, the last bridge crumbled to nothing and his form still human, not powerful enough to brave the river without drowning or being swept out to sea. The only evidence of Jab’s heritage rests in the jeweled horn that crowns his brow. Twined bronze and amethyst, he’s grown into it, and it into him, from the gangly, headstrong colt he had been.

He doesn’t know how long its been. Time has lost its meaning. He turns away from the battle below and climbs back down, heart heavy. If he looks, he knows he can find his brother in the fighting crowd. He’s done it before. Every time it cracks his broken heart a little further.

Unicorns were never meant to live like this.

He toys with the magic jewel strung around his neck- the spell’s focus, and the only scrap of clothing he’s ever been able to muster, given the ruined state of the kingdom. His brother had been smart enough to not lock it to himself, uncertain if he’d make it out of the battle, but he had enchanted it so that another intelligent being has to take it off. Jab can’t remove it himself.

A rustle comes from the underbrush, but Jab is too lost in memory to look up. It’s just another bird. Perhaps a feral dog.

“Holy shit! You’re naked!” Jab’s head whips up so fast he almost gives himself whiplash, staring. His luminous purple eyes meet the ruddy-brown of a human’s and he leaps to his feet.

“Take this off of me!” He demands, crowding into the human’s space and shoving the jewel of the necklace at him.

“ _Take it off me_ ,” he growls lowly. More humans appear, attracted by the noise, and he looks around with wild eyes. He’s of half a mind to stab the first man with his horn, when he rests a gentle hand on Jab’s shoulder.

“What? Hey, back off!” The human tried to back away himself, putting some space between them. Jab snarls.

“Just tell me why, first. And give me some space.” He says with a sunny smile. “I’m Seiya. What’s your name?”

“Jab. It’s Jab.” He says softly, tears clouding his eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the LLF Comment Project, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:
> 
>   * Short comments
>   * Long comments
>   * Questions
>   * Constructive criticism
>   * “<3” as extra kudos
>   * Reader-reader interaction
>   * Comments not in English
> 

> 
> LLF Comment Builder
> 
> This author replies to comments. It might take a few days/weeks depending on how busy I am, but you will receive a reply.
> 
> If you don’t want a reply, for any reason, feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will respond only with an emoji! I will respond only because I have some compulsive tendencies towards replying to comments.


End file.
